Francesc Eiximenis and Saint Vincent Ferrer

Francesc Eiximenis

Life

He was born in Girona into a bourgeois family. He made many trips and studied in many European universities. He had a very extensive body of work that was translated into many languages. He joined the Franciscan Order.

Work

He wrote an encyclopedic work called “Lo Crestià” (“The Christian”), a treatise of 12 books, of which only a few are preserved. *Regiment de la cosa pública* is a political treatise in which he explains his vision of politics, and how people should govern

Read More

Botticelli’s Birth of Venus: Art, Symbolism, and Analysis

The Birth of Venus: An In-Depth Look

Timeline

Year: 1485

Style and Technique

Style: Renaissance (Quattrocento period)

Technique: Tempera

Location: Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Key characteristics of the style:

  • Painters representing the human body and faces with increasing realism.
  • Attempting to accurately reflect the traits of the characters.
  • Interest in nature and landscape, though without the detail of the Flemish school.
  • Techniques used include fresco and oil hardening, but added at the end.
  • In the 15th century,
Read More

Reality and Poetry in Federico García Lorca’s Theater

Reality and Poetry in Federico García Lorca’s Work

Federico García Lorca cultivated theater throughout his career, but it became his preferred activity in the last years of his life. His words from 1936 give us insight into his creative vision: “Theater is poetry that rises from the book and becomes human. And when it is done, it speaks, cries, and despairs.” These words highlight the human dimension—warm and torn—of his theater, alongside the aesthetic and poetic transmutation of its themes

Read More

Church Influence in Medieval Society & Romanesque/Gothic Art

Church Life Regulated by Private Entities

Mallorie interfered in religious rituals from birth to death. Christians were attending mass, fasting during Lent, and going to confession at least once a year. The Church regulated everyday tasks, such as ringing church bells. They continued the church calendar.

Church Interference in Politics and Society

The Church had great social and economic power, charging rents to their tenants and collecting tithes from farmers. It also had great political influence,

Read More

Spanish Romanticism: A Deep Dive into History, Themes, and Styles

Spanish Romanticism

A profound cultural revolution, Romanticism introduced a new sensitivity emphasizing subjectivity. In Spain, this aesthetic shift coincided with the rise of the bourgeoisie and a new socio-economic order. The movement triumphed in theater and fiction, with numerous titles published, followed by new approaches in poetry until 1840.

Historical and Cultural Context

The introduction of capitalism and the liberal state led to the rise of the bourgeoisie. This complex transformation

Read More

Understanding Impressionism: Artists, Techniques, and Legacy

Understanding Impressionism: A Movement of Light and Color

Impressionism is linked to a dispersed group of artists that initially had no formal name. Considered radical and brash, their work was a reaction against revered painters of the time. Of fundamental interest was capturing the fleeting sensations of the moment.

Their goal was to record impressions, capture light, and fleeting sensations. While the common intention was clear, it wasn’t until 1874 when a Monet exhibition displayed the painting

Read More